The present invention relates generally to the field of racing horseshoes, and more particularly to a type of horseshoe which will absorb most impact shock, significantly improve footing, allow for fine balance adjustments, while permitting the ground contact surface to be changed without the service of a blacksmith.
Prior workers in the art of horseshoes have expended much effort trying to find a horseshoe for competition horses that would provide for sure footing on wet, dry, deep or hard racing surfaces. The addition of a swedge groove or various calks and grabs to the shoe have reduced the amount of slipping, but these modifications can have serious side effects. The competition horse will often experience ankle and knee soreness as well as tendon and ligament injuries. These conditions of lameness are a result of the unnatural pull forces that are generated by these traction devices while the horse is jogging, training or racing.
Another area that has received much attention is the development of a horseshoe that will absorb the tremendous impact forces realized by the horse's legs while engaged in competition or while training so as to be fit for competition. This effort is well demonstrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,490,536 and 3,907,036. Although each of the shoes disclosed in these two patents would aid in reducing impact forces, neither shoe would permit changing of the ground contact surface, without adding additional nail or screw holes to the horse's hoof wall. Thus, each new hole added to the horse's hoof would further weaken the hoof wall and often lead to quarter cracks in the hoof and subsequent lameness.